Basement - CSI Locker Room

[Mike]

Continued from: Station Parking Lot with Tony

It was only as they entered the locker room that the smirk faded. The smirk had only grown when Tony had told him to shut up, which he always did. Patting Tony’s shoulder, Mike moved to his locker and opened it. Tony knew that everything he said- or in this case, did- was all in good humor. He’d never actually make fun of Tony for his crush; sure, he’d give him a bit of a hard time about it, but he didn’t mean anything by it. It was like Tony making fun of his favorite shirt. Absolutely no harm was meant by it.

“Ah, man… no M&Ms.” He made a face at his lack of his favorite candy and looked through the shelf of his locker to see what else he had to snack on. Normally, he wasn’t a candy in the morning sort, but being late to work always seemed to make him want something with plenty of sugar in it.

[Tony]

Mike really needed to learn to restock his locker, Tony decided. If he ate the last bag of M&M’s from it, then he had to buy some more. It was simple logic really and he shook his head slightly at his partner’s lack of forethought, moving to his own locker. It was on the opposite side of the narrow room to Mike’s, opposite his and one to the left.

He reached into it, past the random items that somehow managed to find their way into his work locker, hand gripping a small candy bag. Tony couldn’t help but feel that Mike didn’t really deserve the bag of M&M’s that he kept for times just like this, but Tony was too nice. He flipped the bag over his shoulder, turning his head ever so slightly to aim.

It appeared that his aim was slightly off however – so he would strenuously claim anyway – the little yellow bag spinning though the air and colliding with the back of Mike’s head.

[Mike]

Mike gave a little yell when he was hit in the head and turned, looking down to the floor to see what had hit him and bent to pick it up. Seeing what it was, he looked to Tony when he straightened up. “Thanks, but did you have to aim for my head.” Opening the package, he poured a few of the peanut M&Ms into his hand and ate them, turning back to his locker. He still had plenty of chocolate drops for bribing Tony if he needed to, so that was a bit of good news.

Since he had his candy, Mike shut his locker and turned, leaning against it in order to eat his way methodically through the candy. I’ve got to remember to make it to the store and get some more M&Ms later. Being out isn’t any good. I can’t even remember eating the last of the ones that I had.

[Tony]

“My bad,” Tony answered lightly. He was still facing the inside of his locker and so smiled, knowing that Mike couldn’t see the positively evil look on his face. Just as he knew that the other man would have a pretty good idea that he was smiling. It wasn’t as if he had sounded too apologetic after all.

“I was aiming for the actual locker in the hope it would bounce off it and get you in the face…” he trailed off and chuckled lightly, swinging the locker door shut and turning to face Mike, leaning against the now closed metal door. An eyebrow lifted in silent challenge as he waited. Friendly bickering with his best friend was really the best way to start a day.

[Mike]

As soon as the silent challenge came, Mike took it up. Taking a single candy, he launched it across the narrow aisle and watched in rather smug satisfaction as it smacked his best friend right in the middle of his forehead. Now that was a good shot, even if I did just waste a perfectly good M&M. Ah, well, for that shot, it was worth it.

“I can’t believe you’d be that mean to me,” Mike said, putting on a mock hurt tone and look. “I’m so nice and never, ever do anything mean to you and you wanted to make candy bounce off the locker and hit me in the face. I see how it is…” Mike was actually managing to keep up the hurt look, though all he really wanted to do was laugh.

[Tony]

Tony blinked a few times before lowering his gaze pointedly at the M&M on the floor. Mike’s claim that he was never mean to him would have worked better if it hadn’t been immediately preceded by a vicious candy attack. “Dude, you’re in league with Eddie to drive me insane. You’re really not nice to me.”

If they weren’t in the locker room, Tony would probably have resorted to sticking his tongue out at Mike. His friend had the talent to bring out the most childish aspects of his personality, the ones rarely seen by other people. It was only the fact that they were at work with the off chance that someone might come in and see him being a child that prevented him from reacting as he really wanted to.

“Come on, we’re going to be even more late at this rate. You ready?”

[Mike]

“I’m perfectly nice to you. At least, when you are to me.” Mike, unlike Tony, didn’t give two flips about who might walk in and see him acting childish, and stuck out his tongue. If anyone came in and had something to say about it, he would come up with some way to retaliate. He didn’t know right then what it would be, but he was confident that he would come up with something.

Putting a few more candies into his mouth, Mike gave a nod and motioned to the door while pushing himself away from the locker. Heading for the door, he chewed and swallowed. “Can’t start off the day without a cup of sludge.” That, he knew, was the only thing he needed to say in order to tell Tony what his destination was.

Continued at: Break Room with Tony

[Roxanne]

POST TIMESKIP

Much as she loved her job, there were times when being able to hang up the lab coat and slam her locker shut for the night were a relief. Especially when things didn't go according to plan. Still no leads on the cathedral murder, new homicide files, plus paperwork, paperwork, and more paperwork. Roxanne sighed at herself in the small mirror that hung in her locker. "Just another day in the life," she muttered to no one. The buzz of her cellphone distracted her from the ennui for a brief moment.

"McHenry."

"Roxie!" came the boisterous crow of her partner. "The hell are you, kid?"

"Working, Petey. Kind of." She laughed, then continued. "Just got off."

"Well, get a move on -- we're drinking to the Riveras health and your presence has been requested."

With a roll of her eyes, Roxanne confirmed that, yes, she would be making and appearance and, yes, she would drag along whomever else she could find. Once her phone was set safely in the back pocket of her dark jeans, she grabbed her purse and gave her locker a light kick to shut it. Now, who to drag along? Maybe Fox was still hanging about...

Continued in: Basement - Trace Lab